Temporal dynamics of phenology, energy fluxes and productivity of Seasonally Tropical Ecosystems

• Grant number: 24/06113-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato
• Grantee: Maria Maraíza Pereira dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/10639-5 - Center for Research on Biodiversity Dynamics and Climate Change, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The annual phenological cycle plays a critical role in regulating carbon and energy fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. Although there is substantial knowledge about the environmental triggers that control leaf change in tropical communities, the direct phenology-surface-atmosphere connection remains a significant challenge in land surface modeling. This proposal aims to fill this knowledge gap by investigating how climate change and extreme weather events influence the interannual variability of phenology and interconnected processes (e.g. productivity; energy balance), especially in tropical seasonal ecosystems. We propose the use of long-term time series of phenocam images acquired with fine daily temporal resolution since 2017 to characterize phenological patterns from sites across the Caatinga Domain that span a range of environmental conditions (i.e., from ~400 mm to ~1200 mm precipitation). Local environmental conditions will be monitored using sensors installed on a micrometeorological tower. Furthermore, focusing on gross primary productivity (GPP) as a key measure of the rate of carbon fixation by vegetation, we will obtain estimates of GPP (eddy covariance) continuously over time in the same study sites where phenology was monitored. We aim to elucidate the relative control exerted by biotic factors (i.e., phenology) and abiotic factors (i.e., climate) on the seasonal productivity of ecosystems.